Getty High school seniors graduating from the Legion Collegiate Academy in South Carolina got a sentimental send-off from their parents during their final baseball game on May 5 During the match, each player was thrown a final pitch by his dad, and when they got to home base, their mom was waiting to give them a hug An announcer also read each student a heartfelt letter that was written by his parents as they ran across the field Going, going, gone! Seniorsgraduating from a high schoolin South Carolina got a sentimental send-off from their parents during their finalbaseball game, according toToday. The group of nine high schoolers played for the last time at the Legion Collegiate Academy in Rock Hill on May 5. During the match, each player was thrown a final pitch by his dad, and when they got to home base, their mom was waiting to give them a hug, the outlet reported. An announcer also read each student aheartfelt letterthat was written by his parents as they ran across the field. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Getty One senior, 17-year-old Jackson Gordon, toldTodaythat the moment was emotional and filled with "memories, memories, memories," including "the happy, the sad and everything in between." "As early as I could remember, from playing ball in the backyard with just my parents, to all the games leading up to this moment," the teenager added. "Listening to the letter for me as I rounded the bases, and then seeing my mom as I headed for home, that was definitely the best way to end it, running toward the person who had been there for all of it." The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! In the letter read by the announcer, Gordon's parents reflected on the end of their son's high school experience. "This day got here way quicker than I ever thought possible," the announcer read from the note. "Although I'm sad to see this chapter come to an end, I'm even more excited to watch you take on the world in a different way. ... It was never about where you ended up — it was about who you became getting to this point." Getty The idea for the emotional send-off,Todayreported, was crafted by the team's coach, Hamilton Bennett. Bennett told the outlet that he was hired for the role at the beginning of the current school year in September, after the team's former coach, Jalen Benjamin, who was also a teacher at the school, died a month earlier. "It was a role that would have been difficult for anyone to fill," he said. "I was just so grateful for it all in that moment." The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! When the coach ran the idea for the sentimental send-off by his players and their parents early in the school year, he toldToday, "Even back then, there were already lots of tears." Bennett added that the idea to do the send-off was inspired by how he and his father would walk around the bases at the conclusion of every part of his own baseball career. Read the original article onPeople
